The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

This story is well adapted and is one of the best episodes in the "Casebook" volume of the series. Sherlock Holmes and Watson investigate the disappearance of a woman who has been kidnapped by a con artist with a murderous history. Unlike most filmed adaptations in this series this one ends on a dark note adding a degree of ambiguity. John Madden does a solid job of directing it as T. R. Bowen does of scripting it. As usual for Granada the production values are wonderfully meticulous capturing the flavor of the time period. The cast is excellent with Cheryl Campbell giving a strong performance as the eccentric Lady Frances Carfax and Jeremy Brett still proves why he is the best actor to play the role of Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective.

When it comes to The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes, the best adaptation and episode of this series is still for me The Master Black Mailer. The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax though is still very good and solid with only one or two scenes being a little stodgily paced being its only flaw. The ending is different, but also quite refreshing I feel. The deviations didn't bother me, the storytelling was solid and compelling enough on its own terms. As always, the production values are as wonderfully meticulous as always with lovely location shooting in the Lake District, the music is still hauntingly beautiful, the script is thoughtful and John Madden's direction is skillful. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are superb, while Cheryl Campbell and Julian Curry also impress. In conclusion, a solid adaptation and very good episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The story is rather weak, but the original was actually one of the weakest stories. As far as a mystery, it's not much of one. More of a drama than anything. The adaptation done here is pretty well rewritten to at least make it more interesting, but it's still not very good from a mystery standpoint. If you skip this one, you aren't missing much.

John Madden again brings a cinematic quality to The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax.

Dr Watson is in the Lake District and recounts the tales of the eccentric Lady Carfax to Holmes in London. She had a near miss when she fell of a boat that she used to attend church. A disabled war veteran swam out to rescue her.

However Holmes then joins Dr Watson as he senses this independent minded lady might be in danger from a missionary who is in Britain to raise funds.

By the time Holmes arrives, Lady Carfax has gone missing after she encountered a face from her past.

A solid story with a hint of a dark ending with Holmes finding himself temporarily flummoxed with his analytical skills. However you cannot keep a lid on a good detective.

The way the story is presented, it could initially go several ways, the villain here is devious and quick to improvise.

I wondered why a man would travel on vacation to enjoy himself, but instead focus on an eccentric woman he barely knows? But, Watson enjoys the art of observation. It makes sense once Watson explained his interest. He was interested even before any sign of her danger. I thought it was a well laid out story. Watson breaking the case was an interesting angle.

Solving the puzzle many times is very simple. It's staring right at me. But I think human nature leads us to a more complex possibility. Then, comes Holmes with a brilliant, but sometimes simple solution.